| Chapter
14
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PRAYER AND FASTING
The most important aspect of prayer
and fasting is doing it.
A
Christian needs to:
1. Understand what prayer and fasting is all about.
2. Select the best time to do it.
3. Actually pray and fast.
Prayer.
Prayer
needs to be an integral part of the everyday life of
a Christian.
Jesus
said that men should always pray:
Luke
18:1
"And
he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought
always to pray, and not to faint;"
Paul
teaches that our prayers should continue throughout
the day:
1
Thessalonians 5:17
"Pray
without ceasing."
Prayers
are most valuable and never lost.
They
are caught up in Golden Vials in Heaven.
Revelation
5:8
"And
golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of
saints."
Prayer
is approaching God.
There
are five important things about approaching God:
1.
It is a delightful experience to approach God in prayer.
Isaiah
58:2
"Yet
they seek me daily, they take delight in approaching
to God."
2.
God causes and allows us to approach Him.
Psalm
65:4
"Blessed
is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach
unto thee."
3.
We must prepare our hearts to approach God in prayer.
2
Chronicles 19:3
"Nevertheless
there are good things found in thee, and hast prepared
thine heart to seek God."
We
must ensure that we have:
1.
Clean hands
2. A pure heart
3. A humble heart
(James 4:6)
4.
A truthful heart
Psalm 24:3-4
He
that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not
lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully."
Psalm
51:10
"Create
in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
within me."
4.
We must know how to prepare our hearts?
We
prepare our hearts by examining ourselves and allowing
the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin. We ask God to
forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
1
John 1:9
"If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1. We must approach God boldly.
We
can do that if we know that our sins have been washed
away by the precious Blood of Jesus.
1
John 1:7
"And
the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from
all sin."
Hebrews
10:19
"Having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest
by the blood of Jesus."
We
boldly approach Gods Throne in two ways:
In faith
2. In confidence
Ephesians
3:12
"In
whom we have boldness and access with confidence by
the faith of him."
We
need to be submissive to the Holy Spirit when praying
and He will help us.
Romans
8:26
"Likewise
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know
not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit
itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered."
1
Corinthians 14:14-15
"For
if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but
my understanding is unfruitful.
What
is it then? I will pray with the spirit."
When
Believers pray in the Spirit, they pray in tongues (their
heavenly language) as the Holy Spirit gives them the
words to speak.
1
Corinthians 14:2
"For
he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto
men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit
in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."
Leaving
Gods Throne Room:
It
is necessary to leave Gods Throne Room as carefully
and respectfully as when we first approached Him.
We
do this in three ways:
Express
our thankfulness to God for hearing and answering us.
Philippians
4:6
"But
in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God."
Acknowledge
Gods authority and our submission to Him and His Kingdom.
Matthew
6:13
"For
Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever. Amen."
Conclude
our prayers with the word "amen".
When
bowing out of the presence of the King of the Universe
we end our prayer with the word amen.
It
can be accurately described as a conclusive surrender
to Gods will.
The
word "amen" means - "so let it be done."
It
is our acknowledgement that we accept things as God
would have them to be.
Prayer
is our method of communication with God:
There
are three reasons why we need to have an open line of
communication with God:
1. God is our Heavenly Father.
2. Children need to be able to speak to their Father at any time.
3. As Soldiers we need to have contact with God our Commander in Chief.
This
enables us to be effective in the spiritual warfare
we are waging against satan
and his kingdom. This is how we receive His commands
and make our needs known to Him.
Prayer
blesses us in six ways.
It is
our key to provision.
Philippians
4:6
"Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known unto God."
It is
our key to power.
Isaiah
40:31
"But
they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall
run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not
faint."
It is
the key to our desires.
Mark
11:24
"Therefore
I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye
pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have
them."
4.
It is a way to give God our cares.
1
Peter 5:7
"Casting
all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
4. It is a way of reminding God of His promises.
Isaiah
43:26
"Put
me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou,
that thou mayest be justified."
5. It is a way of finding help in time of need.
Hebrews
4:16
"Let
us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time
of need."
What
posture is needed to pray?
There
are at least five mentioned in the Bible:
We may
bow down and kneel in prayer.
Ephesians
3:14
"For
this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ."
We may
stand and pray.
Mark
11:25
"And
when ye stand praying, forgive."
We may
sit and pray.
Acts
2:2
"And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they
were sitting."
4.We may lay upon our face and pray.
Matthew
26:39
"And
he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and
prayed."
Prayer
has three important ingredients:
It must be
fervent. (Fiery, serious and intense)
James
5:16
"The
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much."
2. It must be done with a righteous heart.
Romans
14:17-18
"For
the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness,
and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
For
he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable
to God, and approved of men."
3.
It must be in accordance with Gods will.
Colossians
4:12
"Always
labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may
stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."
Luke
22:42
"Saying,
Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:
nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
There
are six rules of prayer:
1. Prayer should be made in the Name of Jesus
Christ.
John
16:23
"And
in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily,
I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in
my name, he will give it you."
2. We are to pray in faith.
Matthew
21:21-22
"Jesus
answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you,
if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do
this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall
say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou
cast into the sea; it shall be done.
And
all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing,
ye shall receive."
Hebrews
11:6
"But
without faith it is impossible to please him: for he
that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
3. We need to pray persistently.
Luke11:5-9
"And
he said unto them, which of you shall have a friend,
and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him,
Friend, lend me three loaves;
For
a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I
have nothing to set before him?
And
he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not:
the door is now shut, and my children are with me in
bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
I
say unto you, though he will not rise and give him,
because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity
he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
And
I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you."
4. We need to pray in secret.
Matthew
6:6
"But
thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which
is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall
reward thee openly."
5. We need to pray in humility.
Luke
18:10-14
"Two
men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee,
and the other a publican.
The
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I
thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I
fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I
possess.
And
the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so
much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast,
saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I
tell you, this man went down to his house justified
rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself
shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall
be exalted."
6. We need to pray with a forgiving heart.
Matthew
6:14-15
"For
if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you:
But
if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses."
The
realm of prayer has five dimensions.
It is
an emergency hotline to God.
Psalm
3:4
"I
cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out
of his holy hill."
It takes
us into Gods immediate and mighty presence.
Psalm
100:4
"Enter
into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts
with praise:"
We experience
the dimension of worship.
When
approaching a King, it is necessary to follow special
royal protocol, which involves presenting him with a
gift. When we approach God, one of the gifts we bring
Him is worship, which He so richly deserves.
4. We experience petitioning God.
1
John 5:15
"And
if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know
that we have the petitions that we desired of him."
God
has made it possible for us to come before His Throne,
to speak to Him and present our requests to Him. Jesus
Christ is our Righteous Advocate and Legal Counsel to
help us. He also is our Intercessor and prays on our
behalf. Jesus fully knows the requirements and Laws
of God because He is the Word of God.
He
is completely qualified to help us and has the wisdom
and knowledge to defend us and rebut satans accusations
against us.
1
John 2:1
"We
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"
As
we confess and remind God of His promises, Jesus supports
us as the High Priest of our confession.
Hebrews
3:1
"Consider
the Apostle and High Priest of our profession (confession),
Christ Jesus;"
5. We experience Gods secret place.
This
is a special place that God has prepared in His presence
for every one of His children. We can spend time and
abide there. It is a place where we can be close to
God and experience His warmth, protection and comforting
presence.
It
is described as being under His wings and in His shadow.
Psalm
91:1
"He
that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall
abide under the shadow of the Almighty."
Song
of Solomon 2:3
"I
sat down under his shadow with great delight."
It
is a place of protection.
Psalm
27:5
"For in the
time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in
the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall
set me up upon a rock."
It
is a place where we experience fullness of joy and pleasure.
Psalm
16:11
"In
thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there
are pleasures for evermore."
It
is a place where we can dwell and spend as much time
as we want.
Psalm
140:13
"The
upright shall dwell in thy presence."
There
are three Courts in Gods presence that we may prayerfully
enter into:
The Courts
of Praise.
Here
we function as Gods Priests, offering up oblations and
spiritual sacrifices of praise to God.
1
Peter 2:5
"Ye
also are a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
Hebrews
13:15
"By
him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to
God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving
thanks to his name."
The Courts
of Instruction.
It
is here in prayerful meditation that we can receive
instruction and direction from God.
The Courts
of banqueting.
Song
of Solomon 2:4
"He
brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over
me was love."
It
is here in Gods presence that our spiritual senses are
satisfied.
Psalm
36:7-9
"Therefore
the children of men put their trust under the shadow
of thy wings.
They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness
of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the
river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain
of life."
In
Gods presence, we taste, smell, see, hear and feel wonderful
things:
The
five spiritual senses are satisfied:
Psalm
34:8
"O
taste and see that the LORD is good:"
Song
of Solomon 2:3
"I
sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his
fruit was sweet to my taste."
We
can enjoy the fragrance of His presence.
Song
of Solomon 2:1
"I
am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys."
There
are different kinds of prayer that Christians pray:
Ephesians
6:18
"Praying
always with all prayer."
There
are at least six kinds of prayer:
1. Asking.
2. Agreeing.
3. Binding and Loosing.
4. Praying in the Spirit.
5. Intercession.
6. Seeking Gods face.
1.
The prayer of asking.
Eight
things are important about the prayer of asking:
a.
Our Heavenly Father knows what we need.
Matthew
6:32
"For
your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all
these things."
b.
The way to receive what we need is to ask God in the
Name of Jesus.
Matthew
7:7
"Ask,
and it shall be given you;"
John
16:23
"Whatsoever
ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it
you."
c.
Believers who do not ask do not receive.
James
4:2
"Ye
have not, because ye ask not."
d.
The scope for asking is unlimited.
God
can answer every prayer.
Genesis
18:14
"Is
any thing too hard for the LORD?"
Isaiah
45:11
"Concerning
the work of my hands command ye me."
e.
God wants our asking to be specific.
Matthew
7:9-11
"Or
what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread,
will he give him a stone?
Or
if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If
ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto
your children, how much more shall your Father which
is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
f.
God loves supplying our needs.
Philippians
4:19
"But
my God shall supply all your need according to his riches
in glory by Christ Jesus."
g.
God gives to us so that our joy can be full.
John
16:24
"And
ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."
h.
We should ask with the right motive.
James
4:3
"Ye
ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye
may consume it upon your lusts."
2.
The prayer of agreeing.
Matthew
18:19
"Again
I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth
as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall
be done for them of my Father which is in heaven."
The
prayer of agreement is the simple act of two or more
Christians agreeing and making a request to God in the
name of Jesus.
Binding
and loosing.
Matthew
18:18
"Verily
I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall
be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven."
The
word whatsoever means anything.
The
word bind is the Greek word "Desete" >.
It
means to tie up and captivate.
The
word loose is "Losete" >.
It
means to loosen or break the cords.
With
this kind of prayer we can tie up and captivate satans
kingdom. We can also break the cords and set free any
person or situation bound by satans kingdom.
4. Praying in the Spirit.
Ephesians
6:18
"Praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit."
When
we pray in the Spirit we pray in an unknown tongue.
1
Corinthians 14:14
"For
if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but
my understanding is unfruitful."
When
we pray in an unknown tongue the Holy Spirit intercedes
for us and helps us.
Romans
8:26
"Likewise
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know
not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit
itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered."
Often
we don't know what we need to pray for and the Holy
Spirit helps us in a prayer language.
The
prayer language we pray is mysterious and cannot be
understood by men or satan.
1
Corinthians 14:2
"For
he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto
men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit
in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."
When
praying in the Spirit we experience a special refreshing
and rest in the Lord.
Isaiah
28:11-12
"For
with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak
to this people.
To
whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause
the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they
would not hear."
By
praying in the Spirit we are built up spiritually.
Jude
20
"But
ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Ghost."
5. Intercession.
We
need to consider six aspects of intercession:
1.
Intercession is praying for others.
We
need to pray for:
a.
All men.
b.
Our leaders.
c. Those who have authority over us.
1
Timothy 2:1-2
"I
exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made
for all men:
For
kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may
lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
honesty."
d.
We are to pray for our fellow Believers.
Ephesians
1:16
"Cease
not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in
my prayers;"
Philippians
1:3
"I
thank my God upon every remembrance of you."
Colossians
1:9
"For
this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not
cease to pray for you."
2.
God always looks for intercessors.
Ezekiel
22:30
"And
I sought for a man among them, that should make up the
hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land."
An
Old Testament example:
Genesis
18:20-23
"And
the LORD said, because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah
is great, and because their sin is very grievous; but
Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
And
Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy
the righteous with the wicked?"
A
New Testament example:
Acts
12:5
"Peter
therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without
ceasing of the church unto God for him."
3.
Intercession is hard work.
Colossians
4:12
"Epaphras,
who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you,
always labouring fervently for you in prayers."
4.
Intercession is spiritual warfare and combat.
Ephesians
6:12
"For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of
the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places."
The
Greek word "wrestle" means "to fight till death" >in combat.
5.
It is a spiritual watching in prayer for others, in
all things:
1
Peter 4:7
"Watch
unto prayer."
2
Timothy 4:5
"But
watch thou in all things."
Hebrews
13:17
"For
they watch for your souls."
Galatians
4:19
"My
little children, of whom I travail in birth again until
Christ be formed in you."
6. It is seeking Gods face.
Psalm
24:6
"This
is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy
face."
There
are six important things about seeking Gods face:
a.
God looks for Christians to seek Him.
Psalm
53:2
"God
looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to
see if there were any that did understand, that did
seek God.
b.
God invites us to seek His face.
Psalm
27:8
"When
thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, LORD, will I seek."
c.
We may seek the Lord early each day.
Isaiah
58:2
"Yet
they seek me daily ."
Psalm
63:1
"O
God, thou art my God; early > will I seek thee:"
d.
How long do we seek Gods face?
Daniel
9:3
"And
I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and
supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:"
Seeking
Gods face means to wait upon Him for shorter or longer
periods.
Psalm
25:5
"On
thee do I wait all the day."
e.
We wait for God in prayer before His Throne.
Proverbs
8:34
"Watching
daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors."
f.
If we wait upon the Lord we will not be ashamed.
Isaiah
49:23
"For
they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."
There
are four reasons why some prayers remain unanswered:
Because of
carnal motives.
James
4:3
"Ye
ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye
may consume it upon your lusts."
2. Because of conscious sin.
John
9:31
"Now
we know that God heareth not sinners:"
3. Because of insincere and repetitious words.
Matthew
6:7
"But
when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen
do: for they think that they shall be heard for their
much speaking."
4. Because of praying out of Gods will.
John
15:7
"If
ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall
ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
The
ultimate purpose of prayer is to minister to God.
Acts
13:2
"As
they ministered to the Lord, and fasted."
Fasting.
There
are six aspects of fasting that we should consider:
1.
Why Christians should fast.
The
Bible gives great examples of spiritual men and woman
who fasted.
Fasting
releases Gods explosive spiritual Power and coupled
with prayer brings about amazing results.
Here
are four examples of those who fasted:
a.
Moses fasted for forty days.
Deuteronomy
9:18
"And
I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty
days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor
drink water."
b.
David fasted.
Psalm
35:13
"I
humbled my soul with fasting;"
c.
Jesus fasted for forty days.
Matthew
4:2
"And
when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was
afterward a hungered."
d.
The Apostles, Prophets and Teachers fasted.
Acts
13:2
"As
they ministered to the Lord, and fasted."
2
Corinthians 11:27
"In
fastings often"
2.
Fasting is unto God and is God centered.
Matthew
6:18
"That
thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father
which is in secret:"
3.
Fasting is abstaining from eating food.
Luke
4:2
"Being
forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he
did eat nothing"
4.
When fasting, Christians should drink water.
5.
How long should a fast be?
Christians
fast for as long as the Holy Spirit leads them to fast.
Romans
8:14
"For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the
sons of God."
There
are many examples in the Bible of Christians fasting
for one, three, twenty-one or even forty days.
6.
When we fast we are to do so in secret.
Matthew
6:16-18
"Moreover
when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance:
for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear
unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their
reward.
But
thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash
thy face;
That
thou appear not unto men to fast."
There
are five reasons for fasting:
As a consecration
to God.
Joel
2:12
"Therefore
also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all
your heart, and with fasting."
To be
heard of God.
Ezra
8:23
"So
we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was
intreated of us."
To bring
deliverance in any situation.
Isaiah
58:6
"Is
not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands
of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let
the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?"
4. For a revelation from God.
Daniel
9:2, 3, 22, 23
"In
the first year of his reign I Daniel ... I set my face
unto the Lord God,
And
he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel,
I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
At
the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came
forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly
beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider
the vision."
5. For health and healing.
Fasting
cleanses the whole body and after its conclusion brings
about health, healing and a general sense of well-being.
Believers
are challenged to initially fast no more than one day
at a time.
After
showing progress they can proceed for longer periods,
as the Holy Spirit leads them.
Remember
to drink lots of water when you fast. If you have medical
problems and are under doctors or medical treatment,
be sure to first consult with them before fasting.
How
does one break a fast?
It
is necessary to cautiously and slowly break a fast.
This can be done with diluted soup first and then baby
foods and mashed fruit later. The stomach must be given
time to return to its normal size. A stomach after fasting
is like a babies stomach. The digestive organs must
also be gently caressed into resuming their activity.
The longer the fast the longer it takes to break a fast.
Here
are some closing words about fasting.
From
Jesus:
Matthew
9:15
"But
the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be take
from them, and then shall they fast."
From
Paul:
1
Corinthians 7:5
"That
ye may give yourselves to fasting."
From
personal experience:
Every
day of fasting helps a Christian grow spiritually with
greater success.
It
is wise to make the choice of fasting.
Isaiah
58:6
"Is
not this the fast that I have chosen?"
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